Crime in Caterham: statistics, rates and trends
1,783 crimes were recorded in Caterham in the 12 months to August 2026, 77.2 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Caterham at a glance
- Crime trends in Caterham
- Types of crime in Caterham
- Caterham compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Caterham
- Streets with the most crime in Caterham
- What happened after crimes were reported in Caterham
- Demographics of Caterham
- Questions about crime in Caterham
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (605), anti-social behaviour (302) and public order (206) made up 62% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 662nd of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Caterham | Tandridge | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,783 | 6,240 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 77.2 | 68.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +2% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 23,100 | 90,586 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in Caterham of any year here (1,783 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 8%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,783 | 77.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,752 | 75.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,582 | 68.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,431 | 61.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,603 | 69.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,519 | 65.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,781 | 77.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,627 | 70.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,658 | 71.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 133 |
| July 2026 | 160 |
| June 2026 | 155 |
| May 2026 | 194 |
| April 2026 | 154 |
| March 2026 | 149 |
| February 2026 | 137 |
| January 2026 | 151 |
| December 2025 | 120 |
| November 2025 | 137 |
| October 2025 | 132 |
| September 2025 | 161 |
Compared with England and Wales, Caterham recorded notably more public order (34% above the national rate), and notably less burglary (57% below) and drugs (51% below). On the year before, vehicle crime rose from 65 to 101 and criminal damage and arson rose from 110 to 153, while drugs fell from 146 to 37 and burglary fell from 42 to 35.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 605 | 26.2 | 34.2 | -2% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 302 | 13.1 | 15.4 | +27% |
| Public order | 206 | 8.9 | 6.7 | -10% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 153 | 6.6 | 6.7 | +39% |
| Other theft | 135 | 5.8 | 6.4 | +17% |
| Shoplifting | 134 | 5.8 | 8.5 | +16% |
| Vehicle crime | 101 | 4.4 | 5.0 | +55% |
| Drugs | 37 | 1.6 | 3.3 | -75% |
| Burglary | 35 | 1.5 | 3.6 | -17% |
| Other crime | 33 | 1.4 | 2.1 | -3% |
| Possession of weapons | 18 | 0.8 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 11 | 0.5 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Robbery | 9 | 0.4 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 4 | 0.2 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Caterham; the highest is Croydon (103.3 per 1,000) and the lowest Tadworth and Epsom Downs (53.8).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Caterham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warlingham | 430 | 60.8 | -21% |
| South Merstham | 980 | 92.3 | +20% |
| Oxted | 771 | 59.2 | -23% |
| Redhill (Reigate and Banstead) | 2,948 | 87.4 | +13% |
| Banstead | 524 | 63.4 | -18% |
| Croydon | 41,898 | 103.3 | +34% |
| Reigate | 1,550 | 59.4 | -23% |
| Tadworth and Epsom Downs | 1,493 | 53.8 | -30% |
Of the 4 areas within Caterham, Valley had the highest crime rate (125.5 per 1,000) and Portley & Queens Park the lowest (59.1).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley | Neighbourhood | 4,795 | 602 | 125.5 |
| Harestone | Neighbourhood | 4,678 | 361 | 77.2 |
| Westway | Neighbourhood | 8,027 | 489 | 60.9 |
| Portley & Queens Park | Neighbourhood | 5,600 | 331 | 59.1 |
The 10 locations below account for 30% of the crime recorded in Caterham over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (167).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 167 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 56 |
| On or near Caterham | 48 |
| On or near Colin Road | 46 |
| On or near Farningham Road | 41 |
| On or near Burntwood Close | 40 |
| On or near Harestone Drive | 39 |
| On or near Station Avenue | 38 |
| On or near Parking Area | 35 |
| On or near Stanley Street | 33 |
Of the 1,481 crimes in Caterham with a recorded outcome, 33% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.4% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 302 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 579 | 39.1% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 486 | 32.8% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 177 | 12.0% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 51 | 3.4% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 51 | 3.4% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 40 | 2.7% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 38 | 2.6% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 19 | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 16 | 1.1% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 12 | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 8 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 3 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
Caterham has an estimated population of 23,100 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less social housing (11%, against 17%), fewer households without a car (16%, against 23%) and fewer students (5.7%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Caterham average decile 7.3 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Caterham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 17.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 62.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.0% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 20.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.7% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 36.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 13.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 15.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 73.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 11.0% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.3 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Caterham a safe place to live?
Caterham recorded 77.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 662nd of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were public order.
What is the most common crime in Caterham?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 605 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (302).
Is crime in Caterham going up or down?
Recorded crime in Caterham was up 2% on the year before: 1,783 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,752 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Caterham?
About 23,100 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 18% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Caterham?
Caterham is policed by Surrey.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.